Crane



April 27 1928. 1,582,z74

R. W. KALTEN BACH GRANE Filed Oct. 6. 1921 8 Sheets-Sheet l April 27 l1926. 1,582,274

R. w. KALTENBACH GRANE Filed Oct. 8, 1921 8 sheets-sheet 2 Ihr/zao?? fiW/W April 27 1926. 1582274 R. w. KALTENBACH GRANE Filed Oct. 6, 1921 8 eetS-Shee'c 4 'April 27 '1928.

' 1,5825274 R. w. KALTENBACH GRANE Filed Oct. z 1921 8 sheets-sheet 5 am 5 0 nikim April 27, 1926.

W. VMA/ MM M/KWVM April 27 1928. 1,582,z74

R. w. KLTENBACH GRANE Filed Oct. 6. 1921 8Sheets-Sheet '7 April 27 1926. 1,582274 R. wv VKALTENBACH GRANE Filed Oct. 8, '1921 8 sh'e'zs-sheet 8 /2 gM/MLW Patented Apr. 27, 1926.

UNITED STATES ROERT W. KALTENBACH, OF CLEVELAN D HEIGHTS, OH'IO, ASSIGNOB T THEYMCMYLEB' INTERSTATE COMPANY, OF BEDFORD, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

GRANE.

Application med octaber 8, 19,21. serial Naspfiao.

To aZZ 'whom it may concem: p

Be it known that I, RoBER'1'- VV. KALTEN- BACH, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Cleveland Heights, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have inventeda certain new and useful Improvement in Granes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description." A

This invention relates to cranes, and particularly exceptionally large cranes such as ship-building cranes utilized for the purpose of handling heavy loads at a large radius.

The crane constituting thesubject matter of the present invention includes a load supporting arm attached to a long depending skirt which surrounds a stationary tower onwhich the'movable part is journaled for rotary movement on a Vertical. or substantially Vertical axis, and for a slight tipping inovemen't as the load 1s applied to or removed from the arm, the unbalanced load' created by the weight of the arm or by the work carried by it being resisted by the lower part of the stationary tower, and transmitted thereto through the depending skirt.

The invention relates to the general construction of a crane having the above characteristics, and resides also in the thrust resisting devices provided between the lower portions of the skirt and tower; also to' means for rotating the rotary structure by applying power to the skrt notwithstanding the i rocking movement to which the rotary structure is susceptible, and also to certain details of the bearing for the rotary structure on the upper part'of the tower, and to means which I have provided by which the entire rotary structure may be lifted olf its bearings for the purpose of inspecting, repairingor replacing bearings.

The invention may further be briefly 'summarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction, and combinations and arrangements of parts which W111 be described inv the specification and set forthv in the appended c aims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawi'ngslwhich show an embodiment of the invention which operateswith high cfliciency2 Fig. 1 is a side view of the frame; Fig.V 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken-through the lower portion ofithe tower and skirt, the arts being shown on. anenlarged Scale; Fig. 3

o is' afragmentary Vertical sectional view r through the lower parts of the skirt and tower and upper part of the portal or base on which the crane is supported; Fig. 4 is a side elevation with parts in section, showing the upper part of the tower, a portion of the rotating structure, and the bearings by which the load is transmitted to the tower; Fig. 5 is va sectional view on anenlarged scale substantially along the line 5-5 of Fioz 2; Fig. 6 is a sectional view substantia'ily alongv the line e 8- of Fig. 5; Fig. 6a is a detached sectional plan view of .the drive mechanism of Figs. 5 and 6; Fig. 6b is a side view of the same looking towardthe right of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail 'view with a part in section of a portion of the drive mechansim shown in plan in Fig. 2; Fig. 8 is a Vertical sectional view susbtantially along the line 8-8- of Fig. 7, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; Fig. 9

is a sectional view substantially along the' line 9- 9 of Fig. 7, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; Fig. 10 is a plan .view on an enlarged Scale of another portion of the driving mechanism shown` i'n plan at the center of Fig. 2; Fig. 11 is a sectional view substantally along the line 11-11 of Fig. 10, looking inl the direction indicated by the arrows; Fig. 12 is a sectiona'l view substantially along the line 12-12 of` Fig.

of the crane which may be provided with any w desired number of hoists 11. and 12. The arm is extended beyond the center of rotation where it is provided with a counterbalancing portion 10a which preferably overbalances the weight of the main portion 10 of the arm when `the letter is provided with no load. The arm or boom is supported on a central stationary tapering .tower 13 which is supported on a base or portal 14,7and the arm is provided with a long de ending skirt 15 which encircles the tower nd transmits to the base thereof by a lateral thrust, the unbalanced load of the arm when the latter is with orpwithout load.

The tower' 13 is formed principally of struc'tural material including a series of 'girder being connected to the portal ings cal direction is transmitted from columns '13a shown in Fig. 1 in elevation, and in Fig. 2 in section. At the base of the tower the columns. are connected by a girder 13, the exterior of which is circular, this by cast- 13x which constitutes seats for the columns as well as a supporting base for the girder. The 'upper part of the tower is formed by a plurality of castings designated 13. The top casting, designated 13*-1 is provided with a spherical seat- 13Hwhich' is engaged by a non-rotating but rockable seat member 16 capable of a slight universal or ball and socket motion on" the top casting 13'1. VThe-rotary part of the crane turns about a heavy pivotal pin 17 which is carried by a casting 18 secured to the upper` portion of .the rotating structure, the axis of this pin (assuming that the portions 10 and 108' are balanced) coinciding with the axs of the tower 13. Suitable bearing members 17a connect the lower part of this pin with the casting 16 which include cylin-` drical anti-friction rollers, and the load of the rotatingpstructure of thrust in a vertithe casting 18 to the casting 16 by heavy bearing rings 19 and 20 separated by anti-friction rollers 21. Suitable means will be provided to amply lubricate all the bearings, thermter part of the casting 16 having an upstanding lubricant retaining ring forming an enclosure by which all bearings may be flooded with oil. It will be observed in passing, that the entire weight of the rotating structure, as well as the live load supported by it is transmitted to the top of the tower, and that the s herical'seats of the casting 13d suport by the tower and casting 16 supported y the rotary structure permit a slight rocking motion of the rotary structure relative to the tower. i

The .skirt 15 is formed principally 'of structural material including four columns 15 which are connected together at the'bottom by a circular girder 15h, the lower ends of the columns 15a being just outside the girder and being connected thereto by triangulanshaped extensions 15 which project outwardly from the outer surface of the 'rder at equally spaced points, as shown in ig.I 2. In this figure the columns15 are shown in section.

It may be stated at this point that ityis an important feature of this invention that 'the portal 14 is provided with hydraulically operated plungeiis 23 for elevating the entire rotary structure off its bearings. To dothis the superstructure is turned so that the triangular extensions 15 on the lower circular girder of the skirt are abov'e these plungers,

. after which lthe latter are simultaneously elevated. This, as previously stated, allows for an inspection, repairing or replacement of any bearmg part.

As already stated, the rocking movement' -from the bottom of the skirt to the bottom of the tower. 'The means for resisting this thrust forms an important part of the invention, and this will now be explained.

` By reference to Figs. 2, 3 and. 5 it will be observed that the .circular girder 13'J at the bottom of the tower carries at its outersurface two circular thrust rails 25, the heads of which project outwardly. The heads' of these rails are engaged by an annular series of rollers 26 which are carried by the annular girder 15b at the lower end of the skirt 15.

These rollers which are arran ed in pairs,`

one above the other, as above s own in Fig. 5, are not fixed in position as thrust rollers ordinarily are when utilized for a purpose such as in the present case, but instead have more or less of a fioating action to a limited degree, bothvradially and circumferentially. The pairs of rollers 26 are in this instance mounted on Vertical pins 27 which are oonnectcd together by links 28. The rollers and their links constitute in efi'ect a chain or band which encircles the thrust resisting rails of the lower tower girder, but preferably the links and rollers are arranged in two semi-circular series, i. e. in the form of `two semi-circular chains, the ends of which wear on the roller pins or in the links, and` also controls the amount' of relative rocking motion between the skirt and towerpdue to the unbalanced load.

By this thrust resisting mechanism the lateral thrust at the bottom' of the skirt is ,transmitted to the thrust receivin rails at the bottom of the tower by the equivalent of a pair of chains or. straps-which are carencircle the rails. w

It is to be noted that. when the thrust is resisted by the two chains of rollers, the thrust is at all times taken by a plurality of the rollers which is far more eflicient and advantagcous, than would be the case if theY thrust were taken by one roller or a ried by the bottom ofl the skirt and together air of rollers rigidly or fixedly mounted. his feature embodied in `what I believe to be the largest crane ever constructed and installed, has proven in practice to be exceedingly eflieient.

I will next describe the mechanism for rotating the rotating structure so that the load supporting arm can be swung laterally to any position desired. This is 'done-.in tlns instance by applying rotating power at a plurality 'of oints. on the inner periphery of the lower' girder 15b of the skirt, and by the mechanism utilized by me this is accomplished very effectively notwithstanding the fact` that the rotating structure is capable of a rocking movement as already described. For the purpose of rotating the crane I provide on the portal 14 a motor 32 (see F ig. 2) which is connected by reduction gearing to a countershaft 33 havmg a pinion which drives a gear 34 located at the center of the top surface of' the portal. This gear 34 carries two bevel pinions 35, (see Fig. 11) which engage bevel pinions 36 on' -two shafts 37 extending in oppositedirections toward two opposite sides of the portal, one of the shafts thereon. It will be observed that the gearing just referred to is of the difl'erential type. Both shafts 37 are provided at their outer ends With bevel pinions 38 (see Figs. 2 and 7) whichl rotate bevel gears 39 each mounted loosely on one end of one of a pair of aligned shafts'40, 40, which are supported in housings 41 near opposite sides of the portal, these shafts being as shown in Fig 7, at'right angles to the driving shafts 37. ,Each bevel ear ,39 carries a pair of oppositely disposed evel pinions 42 which are located between and engage a pair of bevel gears 43, each keyed to the adjacent ends of the shafts 40. It will be observed that .this gearing likewise is of the difl'erential type;

The outerends of the shafts are con- I nected by universal couplings 44 to shafts 45 which extend' four points adjacent the inner surface of the circular girder 15b of the skirt.- The outer ends of the four shafts 45 are connected by universal couplings 46 to shafts 47, each rotatably supported in the arms of a yoke 48, swiveled to turn on oppositely disposed piiis in the upstandin arms of a housing 49 (see Fig. 6a) 'supporte on the portal. By reference/to Fig. 5 which shows one of the housings 49 and associated parts just referred/to, it will be seen that the housings are located on the portal bei-- neath andjust inside of the lower circular girder 15b of the rotating skirt.

The four shafts 47 are provided each. with a bevel. inion 50, and 'these pinions mesh with and rotate bevel gears 51 secured to the lower ends of upright shafts 52 journaled in Vertical bosses 48n of the yokes 48. At their upper ends the shafts 52 'are provided with spur pinions 53' (see Figs. 3, 5 and 6), which engage an internal gear or circular rack 54 secured to the lower inner surface of the circular girder 15b of the skirt. Thus the rotating structure is rotated through the described mechanism from a single motor 32 through four pinions ensupported by aving the gear 34 loosely mounted gaging at equally spaced oints the internal gear or circular rack. o the lower skirt girder. i

In order that drivin'g engagement will at t of the downturned flange 58 of the gear 54.`

The rollers 57'keep the pinions 53 in mesh, or in driving engagement with the internal gear 54 of the skirt girder, and inasmuch of each yoke 48 is provided wlthvan as the rollers 57 and pinions 53. are 'a 'fixed distance apart, and inasmuch as they are a yoke capable of rocking about a horizontal axis at right angles to the roller sup orting arms 55, it will beK seen that the s irt may rock in any direction without disturbing the drive relationship'between the internal gear 54 and the four pinions which rotate it and the rotating Vstructure as a whole.

Various features .of the present invention are adapta-ble for' cranes of immense size and adapted vto handle extremely vheavy loads. In fact, theinvention herein illustrated is in use on a 'orane which will lift a While I have illustrated an embodiment of the invention which operates with very high efliciency in a crane of the size and adapted to lift a load such as-just stated,- I do aov =as` load of three hundred and fifty gross tonsV on a radius of one hundred and fi'fteen feet.

not desire to be confined to theprecise de- I tails or arrangements shown, but aim in my claims to cover all modifications 'which do not involve a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the. ap-

pended claims. f

Having' described my invention, I 'claimz 1. A crane comprisinga load'supporting boom or arm provided with a depending skirt, a tower extending upwardly through the skirt, and ,at its upper end rotatably supporting the arm and skirt, the arm and skirt being also mounted for rocking. movement about the axis of the tower..

2. A crane structure ccmprising a st`a-' tionary tower, a rotating load supporting structure supported at the top of t e tower forl rotary and ,rocking movement about the axis of the tower and comprisin load supporting arm or boom, and a skirt which surrounds the tower and extends vdownwardly substantially to the bottom thereof, and means operatively connected to the skirt for rotatmg the skirt and arm..

3. A, cranecomprising a stationary tower, a load supporting structure supported at the upper part of the tower for rotary movement and for a rocking movement, said .structure comprising a laterally proextending downwardly` over the tower,

circular -rack jecting arm and a depending skirt, the latter surrounding. and extending' downwardly along the tower, and means forv applying rotatingpower to the skirt 'to zrotatet the rotary structure.

4. A crane comprising a stationary' tower,- -a load supporting structure supported by the upper part of the tower and comprising a laterally projecting armor boom and a depending skirt, the latter surrounding and extend-ing downwardly over the tower, said skirt and tower being provided adjacent the; bottom With circular bearing members, one of said members being in the form of an expansible and contractable band carrying thrust transmitting rollers engaging the other member.

5. A crane comprising a stationary tower,-

a load vsupporting structure supported by the upper part of the tower and comprising a'laterally projecting arm or boom and a depending skirt, the latter surrounding andl sar skirt being provided at the bottom with a circularerack or gear, ing a pluraity of pinions 'engaging the gear at equally spaced points for rotating the rotary structure.

6. A crane comprising a stationary tower,- a rotary part supported at the upper portion the'reof and compris'ing a laterallyproj ecting boom the latter extending downwardly .substantially to the'base of the tower, a gear or at the bottom of the skirt, and means for rotating the rotary part com- 'prising a motor on the base of the tower,..

mounted pinions enand` operatively and means for a plurality of movably gaging the gear or rack connected to said motor,

. holding said pinions in engagement with the gear.

7. A crane structure .eomprising a stationary tower and a load supporting part supported by the tower for rotary movement about the axis of the same and for rocking movement, and comprising a laterally projecting arm or boom and a dependingskirt extending downwardly alongthe tower, the lower part ofv the skirt having a cireular rack orvgear 'extending about the tower, av pinion for'rotating the arm and skirt engaging said gear or circular rack, and means 'for causing the inion and circular rack to move -toget er during the rocking movement.

8. A crane structure comprising a; sta-' tionary tower and a load supporting part supported by the tower for rotary move- -ment and for rockingmovement, and-comprising a laterally projecting arm or boom, and a depending 'skirt extending downwardly along the tower, the lower part of the skirt having a circular rack or gear exand means comprisor arm and a depending skirt,

proper engagement with the rack or gear when the skirt :and arm are rocked on the tower.

I 9. A crane comprisinga stationary tower, a rotary load supporting part supported at the upper part of the tower comprising a lateral depending skirt,

y' projecting boom or arm and a the latter' surrounding and extending downwardly substantially to the' vbase of the tower, tower and the lower partof the skirt havthe lower part of the ing thrust resisting means including a`plurality of adjustably mounted rollers carried by one" part and adapted to engage the other part.

10. A crane comprising a stationary tower a rotary load supporting part supported at the upper part of the tower com- 'prising a laterally projecting boom or arm and a depending skirt, the latter-surrounding and extending downwardly substantially to the 'base of the tower, the lower part of the skirt having a plurality of adjustably mounted'rollers and the lower part of the tower having an annular member which the rollers engage.

11. A crane comprising a tower, a rotary load supporting part supported at the upper part of the tower comprising a laterally p-rojecting boom or arm andv a depending sklrt, the latter surround- .ing and extending downwardly substantially to the base of the tower, the lower part lof the tower having a thrust 'resisting rail and the lower part of the skirt having a plurality of thrust transmitting rollers flexibly. connected together in -the form of a chain. p

12. A crane comprising a stationary tower, a rotary load supporting part supported at the upper part of the tower comprising a laterally projecting boom or arm and a depending skirt, the latter surrounding and extending downwardly substantially to the base of the tower, the lower part of the towerhaving a thrust resisting rail and the lower part of the skirthaving a lurality of thrust transmitting rollers flexibly connected together in series in the form of a Chain.

13. A crane comprising a stationary tower, a rotary load supporting part supported at the upper part ofthe tower compr'ising a laterally projecting boom or arm and a depending skirt, the latter surrounding and extending'downwardly substantially to the base of the tower, the lower part of the tower having a 'thrust resisting rail and the lower part of the skirt having two sets of thrust resisting rollers, each set extonding stationaryV llO part way about the skirt and connectedtogether in the form of a chain which is held at its ends on the skirt. W

14; A crane comprising a stationary tower, a rotary load supporting part supported at the u per part of the tower comprising a latera ly p'rojecting boom or arm and a depending skirt, the latter surrounding and extending downwardly substantially to the base of the tower, the lower part of the tower having an annular girder with a thrust ressting rail and the lower part of the skirt having an annular girder carrying a plurality of thrust transmitting rollers fiexibly connected' together like a cha-in and engaging the rail.

15. .A crane comprisin'g a stationary tower, a rotary load supporting part supported at the upper part of the tower comprising a lat-erally pruojecting boom or arnrand a depending skirt surrounding and extending downwardly substantially to the base of the l tower, the

wer part of the tower having an annular girder with a thrust resisting rail and the lower part of the skirt having an annular girder carrying an internal gear or cii'culari rack, and carrying also a plurality of thrust transmittin rollers flexibly connected together in the orm of a chain whose ends are anchored on the skirt, and means engaging said internal `'gear or circular rack to rotate the skirt and arm.

16. A crane comprising a stationary tower, a rotary load supportlng part suplported on the' tower and comprising a latera y projecting boom or arm and a depending skirt surrounding and extending downwardly substantially to the base of the tower, the lower part of the skirt having a series of movable thrust resistng rollers linked together and encircling the lower art of the tower, and means for adjusting tlie series of linked rollers to empensate for wear and to control the degree of relative movement between the skirt and tower.

17. In a crane, a' portal, a tower supported on the portal, a rotary structure supported on bearings of the towerand comprsing a laterally projecting arm or boom and a depending skirt surroundng and extending downwardly substantially to the base of the tower, said4 portal having a plurality of lifting devices for lifting the rotary structure ofl'its bearings.

18. In a crane, a portal or base having an upwardly projecting tower, a rotary structure supported on bearings adjacent the top 'of the tower and comprising a laterally projectin arm or boom and a depending skirt exten ino' downwardly substantia-lly to the base oftzlxe tower, said portal having at its Corners .vertically movable lifting devices, and the skirt having at the bottom an annular girder with extensions forming abutments adapted to -be positioned over said lifting devices whereb the entre rotary structure may be lifte off its bearings.

In 'testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

ROBERT W. KALTENBAOH. 

